Secondary conveyor belt cleaners

Abstract

A secondary conveyor belt cleaner includes a metal support of length L1 and a metal guide of continuous or intermittent construction; the support extends across a conveyor belt of width W in spaced relation to the belt. A plurality of belt cleaner blades of total length L2 (W≈L1≈L2) are mounted on the guide by a plurality of metal cantilever support arms, usually forged aluminum, one per blade; on each arm there is a metal reinforcement that fits snugly in a base wall in its blade. Torsion bias acting on the support rotationally urges the blades against the conveyor belt.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner, for supporting a blade unit of the kind comprising a flexible blade of molded resin having, in cross section, a short base wall and two longer side walls extending away from opposite side of the base wall and converging at an elongated belt scraping edge, and a blade mounting member for mounting the blade on a cantilever blade support, the mounting member including one element of two complementary plug-and-socket connection elements, the cantilever blade support arm comprising:   an elongated, stiff, unitary support arm having an inner anchor end and an outer blade support end;   a plurality of mounting receptacles, each defined by two longitudinally displaced spaced projections at the inner end of the arm, the receptacles, being displaced longitudinally from each other along the arm, each for mounting the arm on a transverse support member in a secondary belt cleaner, so that the support arm has any one of a corresponding plurality of effective arm lengths; and   a plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm, complementary to the plug-and-socket element of the blade mounting member, for mounting the blade mounting member on the arm.   
     
     
       2. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 1 in which the blade support arm is an aluminum forging. 
     
     
       3. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 1 in which the plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm has a plurality of key elements for orienting the blade unit at any of a corresponding plurality of angular orientations to the arm. 
     
     
       4. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 3 in which the plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm is a socket and the key elements are keyways. 
     
     
       5. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner, for supporting a blade unit of the kind comprising a flexible blade of molded resin having, in cross section, a short base wall and two longer side walls extending away from opposite sides of the base wall and converging at an elongated belt scraping edge, and a blade mounting member for mounting the blade on a cantilever blade support, the mounting member including one element of two complementary plug-and-socket connection elements, the cantilever blade support arm comprising:   an elongated, stiff, unitary support arm having an inner anchor end and an outer blade support end;   a mounting receptacle, defined by two longitudinally displaced spaced projections at the inner end of the arm, for mounting the arm on a transverse support member in a secondary belt cleaner; and   a plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm, complementary to the plug-and-socket element of the blade mounting member, for mounting the blade mounting member on the arm;   the plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm having a plurality of key elements for orienting the blade unit at any of a corresponding plurality of angular orientations to the arm.   
     
     
       6. A cantilever blade support arm for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 5 in which the plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm is a socket and the key elements are keyways. 
     
     
       7. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner comprising: a flexible blade of molded elastomeric resin having, in cross section, a short base wall incorporating an elongated reinforcement-receiving receptacle and two longer side walls extending away from opposite sides of the base wall and converging at an elongated belt scraping edge;   and a blade mounting member for mounting the blade in a secondary belt cleaner, the mounting member including a stiff, elongated reinforcement tightly and removably seated in the reinforcement-receiving receptacle of the blade, a support wall projecting from the reinforcement and engaging the base wall of the blade when the reinforcement is seated in the receptacle;   the blade mounting member further including one element of complementary plug-and-socket connection elements for mounting the blade unit on the outer end of a cantilever support arm that constitutes the other plug-and-socket connection element.   
     
     
       8. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 7 in which the connection element of the blade mounting member is the plug element of the plug-and-socket connection and is of tapered configuration. 
     
     
       9. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 7 in which the plug-and-socket connection element further comprises a key to determine angular orientation of the blade unit relative to the cantilever support arm. 
     
     
       10. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 7 in which the blade mounting member is formed of metal. 
     
     
       11. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 10 in which the blade mounting member is a metal casting. 
     
     
       12. A blade and blade mount for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 11 in which the connection element of the blade mounting member is the plug element of the plug-and-socket connection and is of tapered configuration, and in which the plug-and-socket connection element further comprises a key to determine angular orientation of the blade unit relative to the cantilever support arm. 
     
     
       13. A cantilever blade and blade support unit for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 10 in which the blade mounting member is an aluminum forging. 
     
     
       14. A cantilever blade and blade support unit for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner, comprising: a flexible blade of molded resin having, in cross section, a short base wall incorporating an elongated reinforcement-receiving receptacle and two longer side walls extending away from the base wall and converging at an elongated belt scraping edge;   a blade mounting member for mounting the blade in a secondary belt cleaner, the mounting member including a stiff, elongated reinforcement removably seated in the reinforcement-receiving receptacle of the blade, a support wall projecting laterally from the reinforcement and engaging the base wall of the blade when the reinforcement is inserted into the receptacle, and one element of two complementary plug-and-socket connection elements for mounting the blade unit on the outer end of a cantilever support arm;   and a cantilever blade support arm comprising an elongated, stiff, unitary support arm having an inner anchor end and an outer blade support end, at least one mounting receptacle at the inner end of the arm for mounting the arm on a transverse support member in a secondary conveyor belt cleaner, and a plug-and-socket element at the outer end of the arm, complementary to the plug-and-socket element of the blade mounting member, for mounting the blade mounting member on the outer end of the arm.   
     
     
       15. A cantilever blade and blade support unit for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner, according to claim 14 in which: the side walls of the blade are curved, both concave in the same direction, the blade mounting member and the blade support arm are each formed of metal, and the plug-and-socket connection element on the outer end of the cantilever blade support arm is a socket.   
     
     
       16. A cantilever blade and blade support unit for a secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 15, in which the blade support arm is a unitary metal forging having a plurality of mounting receptacles in the inner end of the arm, displaced longitudinally of the arm, so that the arm can be mounted on a transverse support member with any of a corresponding plurality of arm lengths. 
     
     
       17. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner comprising: a stiff, elongated support member extending transversely of a conveyor belt of given width W, in spaced relation to the belt surface to be cleaned, the support member having a length L1;   guide means, comprising at least one guide member of predetermined cross-sectional configuration on the support member, the guide means extending for approximately the full length of the support member;   blade means, supported by the support member and engageable with the conveyor belt surface to be cleaned, the blade means including a plurality of flexible blades each having a short base wall incorporating a reinforcement-receiving receptacle and two longer side walls extending away from opposite sides of the base wall and converging at a belt scraping edge, the blade means having an overall length L2, with L2≈L1≈W;   blade mounting means for mounting the blade means in the belt cleaner with the belt scraping edge of each blade engaging the belt conveyor surface to be cleaned, the blade mounting means comprising a corresponding plurality of elongated, stiff, cantilever support arms, one for each blade, the inner portion of each arm being mounted on the guide means and the outer end of each arm supporting one blade of the blade means, the blade mounting means including a corresponding plurality of stiff reinforcements each fitting tightly and removably into the reinforcement receiving receptacle of its associated blade;   a portion of each blade mounting member and the outer portion of each cantilever arm being of complementary configuration, affording a plug on one portion interfitting into a socket on the other portion to mount a blade in predetermined orientation on the cantilever support arm;   and torsion bias means resiliently urging the support member toward rotation in a direction to maintain the belt scraping edges of the blades in engagement with the conveyor belt surface to be cleaned.   
     
     
       18. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 17, in which: each cantilever arm is a metal forging;   each blade mounting member is made of metal; and   the plug and socket portions have tapered, interfitting configurations.   
     
     
       19. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 18, in which each cantilever arm and each blade member is formed of aluminum. 
     
     
       20. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 17, in which each plug includes a key and each socket includes a plurality of keyways for receiving a key, so that each blade can be mounted on a cantilever arm at a plurality of different angular orientations. 
     
     
       21. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 17, in which each plug and each socket are of complementary frusto-conical configuration. 
     
     
       22. A secondary conveyor belt cleaner according to claim 21, in which each plug includes a key and each socket includes a plurality of keyways for receiving a key, so that each blade can be mounted on a cantilever arm at a plurality of different angular orientations.